>> The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original production.

>> I just remember walking in and she had it written down on a piece of paper, no longer covered by insurance.

>> What would you do?

>> We always assume that he kind of ran some life choices and said rent or this, and thought he could do without it.

>> If your medicine was suddenly not covered by insurance.

>> We need $13,000 before we can ship this.

[MUSIC] And I said $13,000.

>> If you had to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars up front.

>> Yes.

to be delivered without insurance.

>> Before getting a life saving prescription.

>> Because the patients really don't understand what's going on with their benefits.

>> And it all seems too complicated to understand.

[MUSIC] survival mode, and you're just trying to figure out, like, do I go to work and make money?

Or do I deal with this disease?

>> We have the fifth highest health care costs in the nation, and our quality does not reflect that.

>> These patients are confused, they're overwhelmed, and they're forced into impossible decisions about their health.

>> Good evening.

I'm Marissa Wojcik, series producer of Here and Now.

Tonight on our program, we're bringing you a series of stories about prescription medication becoming increasingly unaffordable in Rx Uncovered.

We'll dive into the complex systems driving these trends and the stories of patients facing life or death choices.

We look at how and why more health plans are not covering life saving medication.

The real life impacts this is having on Wisconsin patients, who's trying to change it, and what you should know about your plan.

It's "Here& Now" for January 2nd.

>> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus Fund for Journalism and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.